The touching tale of Tina Turner’s beloved Jaguars

Legendary singer Tina Turner has passed away at the age of 83 at her home in Switzerland, leaving behind a cultural legacy, four children, a flood of tributes from famous friends and numerous hit songs.

Turner's successful career – and turbulent personal life – have been well-documented, from her public divorce from ex-husband Ike Turner, to her childhood spent in the 'Nutbush city limits' she made famous.

One of the lesser-known elements of Turner's personal life, however, was her passion for cars and driving – particularly her love for her two Jaguar cars.

"It may sound silly, but one of my favourite escapes, and a secret pleasure, was driving my Jaguar," Turner wrote in her 2018 autobiography My Love Story.

"I loved it because it was something I could do by myself, one of the few times I could be alone and free."

Turner was the proud owner of a white Jaguar XJ6 and a silver Jaguar E-Type, both of which were given to her as gifts.

Turner received the XJ6 in 1970 from singer and actor Sammy Davis Jr as a thank-you gift for doing a show with him in Las Vegas.

In Turner's autobiography, she recalled receiving the car from the beloved entertainer and revealed it was originally meant to be a Mercedes-Benz.

"Some entertainers express their thanks by sending flowers, but Sammy was a big-hearted man who did everything in a big way," Turner wrote.

"He pulled [my assistant] Rhonda aside and whispered that he wanted to surprise me with a car. I think he suggested a Mercedes, but Rhonda, bless her heart, told him I was into English cars. Presto! Like magic, a gorgeous, white XJ6 Jaguar was waiting for me outside the hotel."

In Turner's words, the white XJ6 "awakened my passion for fast cars".

Her Jaguar collection soon expanded in 1973, when Turner's then-husband, Ike Turner, bought her a Jaguar XKE roadster. It wore the licence plate "1 TINA".

"I'll never forget the moment I got behind the wheel and pulled out of the dealership," Turner wrote.

"It was late and a little misty when I drove the sleek silver Jaguar on Wilshire Boulevard. As far as I was concerned, there was no one else on the road – just me, driving with the windows down, looking and feeling fabulous.

"I can still hear the sound of the motor, the vroom that signaled it was ready to take me anywhere I wanted to go... I knew I would never drive it at top speed, but I still got the adrenaline rush that car lovers experience."

Turner briefly faced losing her cars in her 1978 divorce from Ike, which left her heavily in debt.

Recalling her court date with Ike, Turner wrote: "To my relief, the judge ruled in my favour. So I walked out of that courtroom with just my name. Oh, and two Jaguars — cars that had been given to me personally.

"It seems so funny now: no money for food, rent or other necessities, no idea of how to pay the bills, but two Jags!"

In tribute to Tina Turner – a rock and roll idol and, we now know, self-proclaimed revhead – we suggested you plan a road trip to this destination, ASAP.